Improvement in railroad-tickets



UNTTED STATES PATENT @FFTGE CHARLES A. CHAMBERLIN, OF PITTSBURG,PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT- IN RAILROAD-TICKETS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 108,107, dated Octoberl1, 1870.

and Stamp, and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying'drawing, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is aplan View of the stampingpliers. Fig. 2 is a face view of the stampingjaw and dies. Fig. 3 is a cross-section thereof through the line x fr,Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a face view of my im proved ticket and tab foldedtogether; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the same unfolded, showingthe full face of the tab, the stamp and ticket shown being particularlydesigned for use with each other.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each.

The nature of my invention consists in the making of improved ticketsfor railroad use, and is especially designed for the use of conductorsin collecting fares from ticketless passengers, the particular objectbeing to prevent frauds on the part of cond uctors in making incorrectreturns of the fares by them collected.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willdescribe its construction and manner of use, tirst briefly indicatingthe kind of stamp I iind most convenient for use, though other suitablestamping devices may be employed.

In a pair of pliers, A, a cushion, c', is attached to one jaw, a', andremovable dies c are arranged in boxes s, or in other suitable manner,in the opposite jaw a. The ribbon e', coiled on spools a e, furnishesthe coloring-matter.

A punch, d, for punching the ticket at the same time that the dies stampit, is arranged in the rear end of the jaw c.

My improved form of ticket, as shown in Figs. 4t and consists of aslotted ticket, m, and a tab, n, attached thereto, or forming partthereof.

On the face of the ticket m, in one or more columns, is printed, inregular order, the names of the stations at which stoppages are made inthe route of the conductor. On the corresponding face of the tab n, andin the same order, and at the same distances from each other, areprinted the arithmetical numbers of such stations.

A slot, m', extending pa 1allel or nearly so with the column of names ofstations, is made in the ticket m, and the ticket and tab are so foldedor lapped so that, by a single imprint of the die or dies c c in the jawa, a record of the name of the place at which the passenger gets aboardcan be made on the face of the ticket opposite to the name of thestation to which he pays fare, and, by the same imprint, the number ofthe former station can be made through the slot m on the face of the taba opposite the printed number of thelatter station. At the same time thepunch d cancels both the ticket m and thc tab a. The conductor thentears the ticket and tab apart, gives the ticket to the passenger, whothen has arecord of both termini of his route and of all intermediatestations.

The tab u is kept by the conductor, and by him returned to the office ofthe company. The number which he has stamped on it and the printed4number opposite such stamp indicate the termini ofthe route for whichhe has collected fare, and, consequently, the amount of fare for whichhe must account.

For stamping the tickets and tabs I use any desired arrangement of dieswhich will do the work. That shown in thc drawing has a die for thedate, which is so arranged as to print the date 011 the ticket, wherebythe passenger will be prevented from using that ticket on any succeedingday. rEhis die lnay, also, as an additional precaution, contain thenumber of the train or other convenient designation in lieu thereof.This die needs to be changed daily. The other die (preferably cast)contains the name and number ofthe station, arranged so that when theticket and tab are inserted between the jaws a a and an imprint taken,as described, the name of the station (Philadelphia, as shown in thedrawing) will be printed on the ticket, and the number of the samestation (l) through the slot m on the tab below.

The conductor should be provided with one of these dies for eachstopping-station in his route, and, of course, he will change this diebetween each two stations. This he can readily do by the use of -a hook,which engages a hook or eye, t', on the end of the die.

As the die works in slides or in a box. chan ging s thework of a moment;but other means of changing may be substituted for that described. Q

In order to make the tickets and tabs in compact form, I have shown ineach two columns of printed matter and the slot in the middle kof theticket. If so preferred, such matter can be arranged in each in a singlecolumn, and the ticket, instead of a slot, m', may have a part cut awayon one edge, so as to uncover a part of the tab. In such case the diecontaining name and number of station should be made so as by a singleimprint to record the name ofthe station on the ticket and the number onthe tab.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A ticket and tab folded against orlappin g onto each other, and oneslit or cut away, so as to uncover a portion of the other, whereby bothmay be stamped by a single imprint, substantially as described.v

2. A ticket and tab, the one containing` the C. A. CHAMBER-LIN.

Witnesses .JOHN GLENN 7 G. H. CHRIs'rY.

